Brand New Day’ Like Its Namesake — Feels Brand New

Spider-Man: Brand New Day

Sony Pictures

After 17 years of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (24 if you count the first Spider-Man with Tobey Maguire – which was not part of the MCU at the time), there’s been a bit of superhero fatigue as more and more projects premiered or were announced in the slate. To be honest, as an avid fan of the comics and the MCU, it’s been difficult to keep up with the many live-action films (37 movies since Phase One) and television series (17 in total, so far). It’s just exhausting to have to connect the dots rather than taking the film at face value and just enjoying it.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day isn’t like that at all. Instead, it’s refreshing and, despite the MCU continuation, feels like something ‘brand new’ in this superhero world. It could be because it’s simply a really good, deep story of a forgotten hero lost in his own loneliness and finding himself evolving into the hero he was always meant to become. It’s a feel-good superhero story that has not been told in a long time. What makes it so compelling is that it does have all these Easter egg moments and recognizable characters, but they’re not really the focus, nor does it have the spectacle of “look! It’s the Hulk!” It feels more subtle, as each plays a part in Peter Parker/Spider-Man’s (Tom Holland) mental and emotional journey.

Since the events from 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter has remained forgotten by everyone – his fellow superhero pals and his loved ones, MJ (Zendaya) and Ned Leeds (Jacob Batalon). As his friends have moved on and graduated from MIT, Peter has remained in New York as the Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man, fighting bad guys and saving the day. He has his routine of visiting Aunt May’s grave (Marisa Tomei), bantering with Detective Jean DeWolff (Liza Colón-Zayas), and being Spider-Man. It’s a routine that has become – for Spider-Man standards – mundane, getting beaten and pushed around by villains and the occasional Frank Castle/Punisher (Jon Bernthal). Peter says in the film, “Spider-Man has to do the hard thing even if it breaks Peter’s heart.”

His loneliness and grief over the loss of the life ‘that could have been’ spark something in him that may change the fabric of his DNA between man and spider. In addition, after making everyone forget him to protect his loved ones, he has to deal with villains who threaten their lives. Peter can’t seem to catch a break.

Director Destin Daniel Cretton, who launched Shang-Chi and Wonder Man in the MCU, has proven again he knows how to bring a story – and hero – to life. Cretton understands pacing is important in a superhero action film, balancing epic battles and fight sequences with truly heartfelt moments. The story, written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, and Justin Kuritzkes, felt humanizing and poignant, but also had the humor Spider-Man is known for. The action sequences – both the fight and stunt scenes and visual effects – were absolutely stunning. Unlike previous films that felt more like video games, the graphics felt so realistic and texturized perfectly. It truly felt like the audience was swinging with Spider-Man across New York City with its skyscrapers and enemy attacks. The sound design, especially when it came to Spider-Man’s superpowers, is so effective in experiencing his plight (listen to it in Dolby Sound). The fight and stunt scenes – by the Jackie Chan Stunt Team – were incredible. At one point, Spider-Man even goes, “Oh, that’s so cool,” as The Hand ninjas assassins do an attack move on him.

There was so much depth to the story, as society has been dealing with the effects of loneliness, depression, feelings of regret, and the fear of being forgotten. All of which can cause harmful effects on the body and brain. Peter isn’t the only one going through it – it’s probably why the recognizable characters show up in the film, because they have or are facing the same situation as he is – some more than others. Bruce Banner/Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) is torn between his two sides. Like Banner, Peter wants to feel a sense of normalcy and suppress this “monstrous” arachnid side, prompting Banner to tell him, “What if what you want to control needs to be expressed?”

Though Frank is given the PG-13 treatment, which felt very off from his bloody television shows, his appearance in the film made sense as he also lived a life of loss and isolation. He feels more like a lesson for Peter not to become. The other sarcastic superhero-ed character that makes a few cameos in the film has their own connection to Spider-Man – again, centered on loneliness and eventually learning to open up from their own recent film. The mystery character, played by Sadie Sink, is also dealing with her own demons of loss and fatalistic desperation. Though each character reveal is a surprise and exciting, the emotional journey and weight are all connected.

Holland, Zendaya, Sink, and Batalon are so good as their characters. It’s hard to imagine anyone else playing them, even in the future when there will probably be another reboot. Holland and Zendaya’s onscreen chemistry shows why it worked off-screen, too. Sink is a natural when it comes to being a lost soul in the sci-fi fantasy realm, while also adding so many layers of pain and anger to this iconic character. Though Batalon feels like the comic relief, his charisma makes him memorable (and someone you do want to hang out with).

​The film is pretty amazing, but it’s not entirely perfect. Though Bernthal is the perfect Punisher, it doesn’t feel natural to see him a bit more cartoony. There’s nothing wrong with showing another side to the lethal vigilante, but just coming off TV-MA The Punisher series felt like going from one extreme to another. The film also felt a bit overstuffed at times with multiple plotlines – multiple villains, Sink’s character’s plot, the United States Department of Damage Control, Hulk, and a few other things here and there. But it was only distracting for a short while before adjusting back to the main point. There are also more questions to be had, especially about the ending and how Sink’s character will play into this universe. Time (and more movies) will tell.

Overall, the film works best if one avoids spoilers because the reveals are worth it – and one doesn’t need to be a big comic book buff to understand it. Spider-Man: Brand New Day is refreshing and gives so much depth to what it means to be human and a superhero. The directing, writing, action, VFX, and acting are stellar, where it doesn’t matter whether big Easter egg names are showcased; it’s how it all connects to the overarching story and character development.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day opens in theaters everywhere on Friday, July 31.